Five story lines to watch

Jul. 25, 2009

The offensive line

With three new starters and Andrew Whitworth moving to left tackle, the offensive line will have to come together quickly.

It got off to a good start during May's organized team activities and June's minicamp, but those workouts weren't in pads. Still, some things did stand out: Andre Smith, the Bengals' first-round pick in this year's draft, is adjusting to playing right tackle; Nate Livings has been solid at left guard and Kyle Cook has been decisive in making calls at center.

In order for the Bengals to return to a top-10 ranking in offense, a position they held from 2005-07 until finishing last in 2008, they must protect quarterback Carson Palmer and open holes for running back Cedric Benson to keep things balanced. If the linemen aren't able to come together, it will be another long season.

Palmer's elbow

Palmer missed last season's final 12 games because of a partially-torn ligament in his right elbow but has recovered without surgery. Receivers say Palmer's passes have the same zip and velocity as they did before his injury, and the seventh-year NFL quarterback told ESPN last week that his arm strength finally is back.

Palmer will be limited to 150 passes a day during training camp and must build a comfort level with what for him is essentially a new cast of receivers. Laveranues Coles arrived via free agency in the offseason, Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson were injured during most of last preseason as rookies and Chris Henry didn't rejoin the team until mid-August.

We won't know if Palmer is completely back to full strength until the Bengals' Sept. 13 regular-season opener against Denver, but his limited action in the preseason should provide a good indicator.

Number 85

Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco says he has regained his hunger and, based on his Twitter posts over the past month, he also has regained his swagger. That's good news for the Bengals after Ochocinco totaled just 53 receptions for 540 yards in 13 games last year - his worst season since his rookie year, in 2001.

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Coaches say Ochocinco is in shape and has repaired rifts in his relationships with Palmer and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. They hope he's able to avoid the injuries that slowed him last year.

It also will be interesting to see how much of Ochocinco we see on "Hard Knocks," the HBO training camp series that will feature the Bengals this season and premiers Aug. 12.

Applying pressure

The defense had only 18 sacks last season, tying for the second-least in franchise history. If defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is able to achieve his goal of a more aggressive unit, the line must pressure quarterbacks and get sacks.

The Bengals need to stay healthy at defensive end. Robert Geathers spent the offseason recovering from knee surgery and Antwan Odom battled injuries most of last season after he was hurt just 15 minutes into his first practice.

If both of those players can return to their previous form - Geathers had 101/2 sacks in 2006 and Odom had eight with the Titans in 2007 - and if the addition of Tank Johnson works out, the Bengals' defensive line should be able to collapse opposing pockets and force quarterbacks into mistakes or sacks.

Three players, two spots

That sums up the competition at safety. Chris Crocker was a midseason addition to the Bengals and made an immediate impact at free safety. He played in eight games, starting six, and had 48 tackles, 11/2 sacks and one interception.

Chinedum Ndukwe broke into the starting lineup last season and tied for the team lead in sacks with three. But he will face competition for a starting spot from Roy Williams, a five-time Pro Bowl pick who signed a one-year contract with the Bengals in May after being released by Dallas.

Both players are good at stopping the run and blitzing, but the player that is best in coverage on long routes will be the starter. Williams remains one of the more physical defensive backs in the league, but there are doubts about his cover skills and Ndukwe continues to improve.